Air Filters and Riding in the Rain
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,439
Likes: 884
From: 'Noke, VA
Heading back and forth to Sturgis my wife and I ran into heavy rain about every other day. Being lazy, we ran our SE ventilators without the socks. After about 30 minutes in the rain the bikes would start to break up. My wife's bike could not accelerate over 60...the filter was that clogged with water. Both bikes acted like they were missing.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 11,467
Likes: 2,996
From: Charleston, SC
I also want to add that in most "normal" rain there wasn't much of an issue. The bikes would bog some but not cut out.
The Biblical rain...driving 40 miles per hour, can only see 20 foot in front of you rain was the issue.
I think most will just pull over and won't experience this. We were pushing it...
lp
Last edited by lp; Nov 8, 2010 at 04:18 PM.
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: May 2008
Posts: 7,439
Likes: 884
From: 'Noke, VA
Yeah, the only time I had an issue with it, it was like you described; 40-50mph winds, sheets of rain that you couldn't see much past the front wheel, trees blowing over. Now that I think about it though, that was in August when the lowers were off.
And I'd bet you're right about the airflow over your fixed fairing.
And I'd bet you're right about the airflow over your fixed fairing.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 2,876
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From: Washington State
Really? Is this a sure thing? I have been waiting almost 2 years for a K & N for mine. Where'd you get that info?
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,132
Likes: 25
From: NorCal
Hmmm, I wonder what y'all would see in an oil sample report after running through a downpour? Sure, you haven't experienced any problems, but you can't see accelerated valve seat wear, or wear on your rings and cylinder.
Fine dirt and dust is in theory caught by your dry filter (like the standard SE Stage I and the SE Ventilator) and held in place by the fibers. In a K&N oiled-type the oil aids the gauze in trapping dirt particles because it's sticky.
When you add water to the mix, it allows the dirt to mix with the water and get sucked through the filter in to your motor.
For those of you with dry filters, have you looked at your throttle butterfly after say, 5k miles? The oil from the breathers does a good job coating the butterfly, and also catches a lot of dirt which isn't supposed to flow through the filter. These filters aren't that great. I sent an oil sample to Blackstone. My silicon ppm was over 12, and it should be around 5. That means dirt in my engine.
I would personally err on the side of caution and use an oiled-element filter, with a rain sock in the rain.
K&N filters still aren't that great. The best results I've ever seen are from an AFE Pro Guard 7 filter (5 layers of gauze, two layers random-weave fabric), but unfortunately they're not available for Harleys...
Fine dirt and dust is in theory caught by your dry filter (like the standard SE Stage I and the SE Ventilator) and held in place by the fibers. In a K&N oiled-type the oil aids the gauze in trapping dirt particles because it's sticky.
When you add water to the mix, it allows the dirt to mix with the water and get sucked through the filter in to your motor.
For those of you with dry filters, have you looked at your throttle butterfly after say, 5k miles? The oil from the breathers does a good job coating the butterfly, and also catches a lot of dirt which isn't supposed to flow through the filter. These filters aren't that great. I sent an oil sample to Blackstone. My silicon ppm was over 12, and it should be around 5. That means dirt in my engine.
I would personally err on the side of caution and use an oiled-element filter, with a rain sock in the rain.
K&N filters still aren't that great. The best results I've ever seen are from an AFE Pro Guard 7 filter (5 layers of gauze, two layers random-weave fabric), but unfortunately they're not available for Harleys...
Road Master
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 929
Likes: 0
From:
HD now makes a sock for the round SE or Ness type round filters, but don't waste your money on it. It's restrictive and caused me a lot of oil blowback. I have one for sale now super cheap if you want to try it. BTW, never had any problems running an open filter before that anyway.
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,437
Likes: 15
Hmmm, I wonder what y'all would see in an oil sample report after running through a downpour? Sure, you haven't experienced any problems, but you can't see accelerated valve seat wear, or wear on your rings and cylinder.
Fine dirt and dust is in theory caught by your dry filter (like the standard SE Stage I and the SE Ventilator) and held in place by the fibers. In a K&N oiled-type the oil aids the gauze in trapping dirt particles because it's sticky.
When you add water to the mix, it allows the dirt to mix with the water and get sucked through the filter in to your motor.
For those of you with dry filters, have you looked at your throttle butterfly after say, 5k miles? The oil from the breathers does a good job coating the butterfly, and also catches a lot of dirt which isn't supposed to flow through the filter. These filters aren't that great. I sent an oil sample to Blackstone. My silicon ppm was over 12, and it should be around 5. That means dirt in my engine.
I would personally err on the side of caution and use an oiled-element filter, with a rain sock in the rain.
K&N filters still aren't that great. The best results I've ever seen are from an AFE Pro Guard 7 filter (5 layers of gauze, two layers random-weave fabric), but unfortunately they're not available for Harleys...
Fine dirt and dust is in theory caught by your dry filter (like the standard SE Stage I and the SE Ventilator) and held in place by the fibers. In a K&N oiled-type the oil aids the gauze in trapping dirt particles because it's sticky.
When you add water to the mix, it allows the dirt to mix with the water and get sucked through the filter in to your motor.
For those of you with dry filters, have you looked at your throttle butterfly after say, 5k miles? The oil from the breathers does a good job coating the butterfly, and also catches a lot of dirt which isn't supposed to flow through the filter. These filters aren't that great. I sent an oil sample to Blackstone. My silicon ppm was over 12, and it should be around 5. That means dirt in my engine.
I would personally err on the side of caution and use an oiled-element filter, with a rain sock in the rain.
K&N filters still aren't that great. The best results I've ever seen are from an AFE Pro Guard 7 filter (5 layers of gauze, two layers random-weave fabric), but unfortunately they're not available for Harleys...
sort of a similar experience. I use blackstone and when I would run the filter without the cover I would have a high silicon count ~12 and when I would use the chrome cover I would be low. Like clock work. I attributed it to the fact that at high speeds the little piece of grit could penetrate the filter without the protection of the cover. Maybe in fact it was the rain washing it thru tho.
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Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 24,682
Likes: 9,163
From: Snow Hill, NC
I was on a local ride and coming home i got caught is a Frog strangler storm...I run a SE un-oiled element and it made my baby cough up something fierce....I now have a K&N drycharger cover for it but haven't tried it in the rain yet...meanwhile i put my football cover over it as i went on a mountain trip...glad i did as we rode from Asheville NC to eastern NC in a pretty bad storm...even my Mustang seat got soaked inside...took 5 days in the sun off the bike to dry it out....
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Dec 2006
Posts: 2,027
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From: Eastern NE
I emailed them (K&N)and that was the response I received.